The Early Morning Quiet
by fumitxl
Summary: The gentle morning sun shone through the windows, illuminating the mass of sleeping bodies that had passed out from a night of heavy drinking and celebration. In the midst of it all sits Romeo Conbolt... and Wendy Marvell.


The gentle morning sun shone through the windows, illuminating the mass of sleeping bodies that had passed out from a night of heavy drinking and celebration. In a corner of the guild sat Romeo Conbolt, who observed his surroundings with a peaceful smile on his face. Ever since his father became Master #4, they had moved into the guild. For seven long years, he had woken up on countless mornings to the sight of broken glass and wood, a rundown guild bare of members. The depression was a constant visitor then; the only relief came in the form of jobs – while the adults had alcohol, this was his escape – but even then, he never imagined feeling so empty when his father finally gave him the permission to go. Romeo sighed, his eyes downcast. Even though their return from Tenrou was like a dream, he would never forget those days.

A cheerful giggle wafted into the guild, carried along by the gentle morning breeze. Romeo tipped his head up, eyes resting on the guild entrance as a familiar blue head peeped through the slightly opened guild doors.

"Everyone is still asleep." she remarked to the Exceed hovering over her head.

"I told you there would be no point in coming to the guild this early." Carla frowned, crossing her paws as she replied.

"Aww, c'mon Carla, we'll just wait until everyone wakes up. Plus, Romeo-kun is here."

Romeo jerked his head up fully at the mention of his name, managing to catch her eye as she looked over in his direction. The pair blushed at the sudden eye contact, smiling shyly at each other. Ever since the Tenrou group came home, they haven't been spared any mercy. Mira-nee had immediately noticed that the once scrawny Romeo had grown, and should have aged to one year older than their only female dragon slayer. Before they knew it, bets had been made and they were the "next hot item waiting to happen". Of course, he was aware that this happened for almost everyone in the guild as long as the demon matchmaker was involved, but Romeo still got flustered at the thought of it. After all, he hadn't even had his first crush, much less thought about having a g-g-girlfriend!

His eyes looked around the rest of the guild desperately, trying to cool down his already crimson cheeks, but still he felt himself being drawn back to her petite figure. Wendy had began making her way to where he was sitting, maintaining quiet conversation with Carla as she tiptoed over one too many sleeping bodies. Romeo couldn't help but stare as the sun gently illuminated the side of her face, he didn't even notice her companion glaring at him.

"...c'mon Carla, it's not like that, right, Romeo-kun?" Wendy asked, finally reaching the spot next to him.

"W-w-what?" he stuttered, eyes only taking in the shine in her eyes as she smiled at him. Wendy sat herself down on the bench opposite him and repeated herself. "Carla said it was too early for me to begin da-," she began, her face slowly turning a shade of pink as she realised what she was about to say to Romeo, "d-d-dating, b-because of what Mira-san has been saying, and I told her that we weren- it's not like that b-between us," she finished in a hurry, twiddling her fingers nervously below the table as Carla stared at the both of them disbelievingly.

Romeo looked down at his lap, his face flushed as he mumbled a quiet "I guess so". The fire mage turned his attention back to the sleeping guild members, avoiding Carla's accusatory gaze. He felt his heart beat calmer as his eyes rested on the sleeping figure of his father, whom had passed out between Wakaba and Cana. His lips curled into a small smile as he thought about how long it had been since he'd last seen his father so worry-free.

There was a moment of silence between them; Romeo smiling peacefully once again as he watched the guild members sleep, Wendy lifting her eyes to observe her peer, her cheeks still tinged pink, Carla watching her charge with concern, like a mother would when her child is growing up. Suddenly, the silence was broken. "You really missed them, didn't you?" Wendy asked.

Romeo, shocked out of his dazed state, turned to look at the girl beside him. Seeing her peaceful smile – one not unlike his own – he replied softly: "yes, I did". He smiled at her gently before the light from the rising sun caught his eye, sounds of bodies shifting and yawns littered the air as the guild awakened. A new day.

* * *

><p><em>My first fanfic! I love the idea of RoWen even though the only connection they have is the guild and their age. I think if they teased them enough at that age, they could actually get them together. They're both so nice people too, even if they really didn't like each other romantically I think they'd be good friends. <em>


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